Baptisms at Whittingham

The Baptism (also known as a Christening) of a child is always a very joyful occasion. You can find out much more about Baptism here.

Our baptisms take place in our 10am act of Sunday worship on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. If this is not convenient, we may also be able to do them on another Sunday in the month.

Please complete the Baptism application form which you can find attached.

What is it all about?

Asking to have a child baptised or Christened (another name for the same occasion) demonstrates that you want God to have a real influence in the child’s life – not just on Christening Day, but for ever. At Baptism, God pours his Spirit into us (demonstrated by the ‘washing’ with water) and we become truly his (symbolized by being ‘signed’ with a cross).

So the person being christened becomes Christ’s and a member of Christ’s family, the Church. Being part of the church and sharing in its worship, learning and service over many years means that we grow in understanding about what it means to be a Christian and are strengthened in our witness and service. What we hope for is to be close to God – now and in Heaven, once this earthly life is over.

How can I arrange this?

Contact the Vicar, The Rev’d Rich Townend (01670 719470) to talk things through in plenty of time in advance, or complete a form, which can be found above. Normally you must live within the parish of Whittingham, or attend worship here regularly or have had some contact with the church in the past. If you don’t live within Whittingham parish, you will also need to contact your local parish priest to inform them that your child is getting baptised outside of their parish.

Once the form is completed and returned, we will invite you to come and worship with us and invite you and the godparents to a preparation session.

A child being Christened, usually has godparents – perhaps up to three, but at least one. Godparents have themselves to have been baptised as they make important pledges on the child’s behalf. Parents and godparents should be aware of these promises to make sure they are in agreement with them. More details about what these promises are can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings/guide-godparents/godparents-promises

What happens after the service?

We hope that you will continue to bring your children to worship with us and play a full part as members of the Church family.

We can baptise people of any age, though by the age of 12 onwards, we’d expect this to be followed by Confirmation.

For further information about Baptism, see the Church of England’s website – www.churchofengland.christenings.org

We will do our best to make this a joyful and memorable day for you and your family and friends!